I blame Roy Bennett for these problems: Theresa Makone on Manicaland

By Tatenda Mabasa | Nehanda Mutare Bureau |

MUTARE – MDC-T national women’s assembly chair and Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone has opened the lid on the cancerous factional fights that are eating the unity fabric in the party saying Morgan Tsvangirai was under siege from a “rebellious internal Zanu PF faction” that was sponsoring dual candidacies to scuttle the premier’s ascendancy to power.

Makone told a rally to drum up support for embattled Social Amenities minister Giles Tafirenyika Mutsekwa in Mutare that the flames of the factional fights have cascaded to Manicaland whose executive was defying Tsvangirai’s directives that Mavambo leader Simba Makoni and Mutsekwa stand in Makoni Central and Chikanga-Dangamvura, respectively.

The local leadership supports Patrick Sagandira and Arnold Tsunga in the unsettled constituencies. Makone the said power-hungry faction – believed to be the one led by Tendai Biti – was being myopic and may never taste power as Tsvangirai will rule Zimbabwe for two terms.

“There are power hungry elements that are working hand-in-glove with Zanu PF to engineer a split of MDC-T like they did in 2005 with Welshman Ncube. We are certain about that; these developments are pointing to that mviro mviro dzemhanza mapfeka.

“In 2005, it was the women who stood by Tsvangirai, and again this time we will solidly stand by him. There is no any other person in the MDC-T that we are prepared to salute as president.

“This party has one leader and that is president Morgan Richard Tsvangirai. The rest of those fighting him are wasting their time, they are fooling themselves. Let not their good looks and egos mislead them. Kwatiri isu they are nothing, nothing.

“I know they will distaste my speech, but I want to tell those plotting against Tsvangirai that the womens assembly in Zimbabwe will rise up against them in a reincarnation of Mbuya Nehanda, our bone will rise up. We do not know the youths if you want to be bought by money, then go with them.

“To you the men, if you want to be bought by money, like was the case in 2005, then follow them again. But the women of Zimbabwe, the majority 52 percent, will stick with Tsvangirai,” said Makone.

Makone added the elements’ strategy was not to form an offshoot political party, but to ignite internal strife that will frustrate its efforts to garner the required majority to assume the presidency.

“They won’t leave the party; their plot is to make sure they destroy Tsvangirai’s pillars of supports one by one until he becomes a lame duck. They think they can take over from Tsvangirai. They are dreaming, and must forget it. They are only a handful, and will never succeed.

“Let me warn them that president Tsvangirai still have two more terms before he hands over the button,” said Makone, adding that if Tsvangirai becomes the President, he won’t promote rebels that will win next week’s election.

“Do you think he will take you, unoramba uri back bencher kusvikira zvanaka. That is if there is no dissolution of parliament. As MDC-T we argue behind closed doors and speak with one voice in public.

“At this juncture we do not want to show Zanu PF how capable we are in dealing with its elements within us. But what we know is that hakuna munhu anorwisa president wake saizvozvi for nothing. Wakatsika pai. If you are banking on the national standing committee, I swear ndinokutsikisa banana.

“Vakaona kuti vakatadza kuuraya musangano uno muna2005, zvino voda kuudzokorora, hameno, hameno, tiri pano hapana kwavanoenda. Kana vachibuda vanobuda vari two three, this party will never split again. We will dress them down, we will deal with them,” said makone, adding that the factionalists’ plot was to destablise Manicaland, which is Tsvangirai’s home province, first. They are targeting Manicaland.

“We are watching the developments closely, and we are saying let the elections pass next week and we will sort it thereafter. Manicaland is a problem child despite the fact that it the province where the president comes from.

“Manicaland inoshungurudza. Zvino tichasangana zvedu mushure mesarudzo, there are elements that must be sorted once and for all. We are not lamed. We have lost children, parents, relatives in this party, our homes have been destroyed, some were crippled because of this party, and we cannot let them down because someone has an insatiable hunger for power.

“We cannot do that. Tsvangirai will rule Zimbabwe for two terms. In his last term he will bid you farewell and those who want to take over will be allowed to. But as a person, I will quit because there is none I am prepared to call president.

“Let us fasten our belts and make sure that Tsvangirai is not sabotaged by these loose cannons. I blame Roy Bennett for these problems. He is the one who paid people money to come back to the party after the split. Angadai akaregedza zvakaenda negungwa, we won’t be having these problems,” she said.

Nehanda Radio spoke Bennett, the exiled MDC-T Treasurer General and he said:

“I have always been with the people and the party needs to respect the will of the people. Now is not the time to be fighting each other, now is the time to be fighting Mugabe and then go into a new dispensation where we can then sort out these internal problems.”